Churchill's "Riddle wrapped in a mystery
inside an enigma" remains an apt description of Russia; most
outsiders have only a hazy idea of its realities. A composite of the
extravagant glories of old Russia and the drab legacies of the
Soviet era, it's a country that both befuddles and beguiles.

This is a land of snow and deadly winters,
but also of rivers that meander across meadows and a midsummer sun
that never sets. Its people, in the words of a Russian proverb,
'love to suffer', yet they also love to party and can be disarmingly
generous and hospitable.

The unfolding effects of a deregulated
market economy are surrounded by rumours of rampant crime and
prostitution, relentless drug-trafficking, mile-long queues for
nonexistent food and a general end-of-the-world aura. But with
countless cultural treasures having withstood the tribulations of
history and economics, and an artistic legacy running the gamut from
Karenina to Zhivago, Russia remains a must-see destination.

Warning

Travellers are strongly advised against
travel in Chechnya and Dagestan. It is currently not safe to travel
in these areas, as well as in neighbouring Ingushetia. Military
clashes, kidnapping of aid workers and foreigners, violent crimes
and muggings are prevalent.

Other neighbouring areas of concern include
North Ossetia, Stavropol, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya and
Kabardino-Balkariya. Events in all these places are difficult to
understand and can change rapidly. On-the-ground consular support
can be negligible or non-existent.